After he knew about my family’s wealth, meeting his parents went much smoother. They were talking in the kitchen.

“The Thorne family and their daughter have so many assets? If Evan marries her, all that wealth will be ours in the future.”

“Evan, if she won’t marry you, then make her pregnant before marriage. She won’t be able to get away from you.”

Evan’s voice dripped with disdain: “Mom, she’s already devoted to me. Do we really need to worry about a premarital pregnancy?”

Not long after, he proposed to me. We were at a ramen shop when, after we finished eating, he suddenly knelt down and popped the question. I said yes.

I was a bit surprised when I saw the $1.50 diamond ring he bought on Amazon. I didn’t expect him to propose so soon.

Evan’s mom, Vivian, was curious about the dowry: “Aria, your family is so rich. How much dowry is appropriate?”

At that moment, Vivian seemed worried that I might ask for a lot. But honestly, taking her son’s soul is like taking his life. I’ve already taken a life, so why would I care about their money? You can’t have everything in life.

I shook my head and quickly said, “Auntie, marrying Evan is my blessing. I don’t want a dowry!”

Vivian sighed with relief. But her expression changed soon after. She relaxed a bit, leaned back on the sofa, and began praising her son.

“This child! He’s been smart since he was young, got into a top university, worked at a foreign company—all thanks to his hard work. And as you said, marrying Evan is indeed a blessing. Many young women wanted to marry him, but I didn’t agree. Let’s go with your suggestion: no dowry, but the bride’s family will provide a villa.”

So it was settled. Next up was discussing the wedding details. I brought my mom to meet his parents, and both families had to agree on the wedding date. My mom’s eyes lit up, but since I can only see a bit of the malicious black lines on people, I could tell there was something off.

What she saw were dense black lines on the faces of Evan’s parents. Excitedly, she grabbed Vivian and said, “Vivian, they are a great match. I feel a strange sense of familiarity with you.”

I couldn’t stop laughing. It was so obvious how malicious they were. This was like the thrill of a hunter spotting their prey.

My mom whispered to me, “This couple must have killed people. They’re extremely evil. It’s rare to find such evil among a hundred thousand people. Today, I encountered two of them. What a stroke of luck for you. Let me investigate them thoroughly.”

Our clan members can’t just take other people’s souls without proper agreements, especially during the first consumption. It requires signing a contract.

In other words, on the day of the wedding, as long as Evan signs the demon agreement, my life can be extended.

Standing in front of the dressing mirror, I looked at the top of my head. We can see our own lifespan with a countdown of one year.

I hope the wedding goes smoothly. We’ve got everything covered—wedding planning, the car, the emcee, the makeup artist, and the hotel manager are all our relatives, so it’s a breeze to handle.

For Evan to sign the devil’s agreement, he needs to do it sincerely. Originally, Evan’s family didn’t want a wedding because it’s so expensive. But they want to get back the betrothal gifts.

I pretended to be understanding and played the part of the perfect daughter-in-law, agreeing to cover the wedding expenses. It’s a great deal for them—they don’t spend any money but get money in return. They can’t pass up this opportunity.

Evan’s family got a bargain: a cheap daughter-in-law who costs them nothing, and their son even gets a villa for free. Who a great way to keep up their appearances!

On the wedding day, we chose the most luxurious five-star hotel. The wedding car and return gifts were the priciest options.

Before the wedding, our elders took us separately to meet the rest of the family. Vivian proudly took me to their relatives. They were all smiles and checking me out from head to toe.

Evan’s aunt, Audrey, remarked, “Oh, the girl is beautiful! And so many luxury houses and cars! Without a dowry, Evan is truly outstanding.”

His parents were beaming with pride. Some of Evan’s relatives unabashedly commented, “This girl’s got a nice figure—perfect for having kids. It’s going to be a boy, right?”

I laughed. Our family genes tend to produce only girls, so that’s unlikely.

We offered toasts to our relatives. Evan’s father noticed only young people at the table and asked, “Where are the elders from your family?”

I shrugged and thought: Actually, that’s my grandma.

As long as we stick to consuming the souls of bad people, we can live long lives without doing anything outrageous.

Evan made a toast. My aunt, clearly intrigued by the gloom on Evan’s face, said, “This boy is impressive. You are a great picker. Your taste is as good as your mother’s.”

Evan took it as a compliment and even blushed. “Yes, a villa as dowry—it’s definitely worth it.”

“This boy is smart, strong, and has good genes. Not bad at all. Our daughter is going to be in good hands.”

My relatives looked at Evan like he was an object, making him shiver. When it came to the emcee, after following the usual wedding rituals, it was time for the declaration of love.

Our clan members were getting nervous. If Evan signs the agreement, it’ll kick off the real addiction. If he doesn’t, I’ll get one more year to live.

They didn’t want to see what happened to my second aunt re-happened again. She fell for the groom and, on the wedding day, begged the emcee not to sign the agreement. She wanted to choose love instead. But the ones who can fall for us are exactly the most virtuous people.

Before she could even finish her life, the groom sold her off to the mountains. There, on her thirtieth birthday, she was turned into a wisp of black smoke by the first ray of sunlight.

The emcee and I exchanged a glance and began reading the fake vows:

“Do you take this woman to be your wife? To love her, be loyal to her, in poverty or wealth, in sickness or health, until death do you part. Do you?”

Evan responded eagerly, “I do!”

Of course, he wanted to. He knew there’d be a small villa afterward, and he couldn’t have been happier.

I smiled with satisfaction. The emcee presented the vow for us to sign, and I signed it immediately. Ordinary people couldn’t read the real words on it, and even if they could, they wouldn’t understand our clan’s language.

Evan hesitated with the pen, his right eye twitching. He looked at his parents, then back at me.

I was sweating and nervous, and our clan members were on edge. “Sign it, Evan, what are you waiting for?” Vivian urged.

Evan’s eye continued to twitch, and he remained silent. I grew anxious and asked, “Evan, do you still love someone else?”

I started crying and added, “Don’t you love me enough?”

Evan got flustered and said, “I do! I’ll sign, I’ll sign!”

He signed his name, and the audience erupted into applause—my fellow clan members leading the charge, which encouraged Evan’s relatives to join in.

The emcee smiled slightly and put away the agreement. I couldn’t wait to check my lifespan in the mirror left by the emcee. Looking into the mirror, I saw my countdown of one year transform into a demon’s horn, signifying my transition into a real demon.

Evan, noticing my preoccupation, asked, “Aria, what are you doing with the mirror?”

“I just cried and wanted to check if my makeup was okay. Fortunately, it’s fine. I love you, Evan.”

Actually, I love your life, Evan.

He sensed something was off but didn’t dwell on it. Later, he went to his brother’s place to drink, but he seemed distracted.